Testing plug for floor drain



May l, 1956 L. N. BoosEY 2,743,786

TESTING PLUG FOR FLOOR DRAIN Filed April 29, 1954 g N mwmm INVENTOR ,l I/[1111', ...wf LAWRENCE N. Boosey' TI; l

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O TESTING PLUG FOR FLOOR DRAIN Lawrence N. Boosey, Talladega, Ala. Application April 29, 1954, Serial No. 426,471 6 Claims. (Cl. 182--31) This `invention relates to a iloor drain such as is installed inthe floors of shower stalls and other floors where necessary to dispose of water, and has for an object the provision of a device of the character designated which shall be simple of design, easily installed and adujsted to the level of the door, and which shall include improved means for disposing of seepage and for testing the safety membrane or pan usually associated with such drains.

As is well known in the art to which my invention relates, when installing a ioor or shower drain on the upper floors of a building, seepage control is required to protect the ceiling below. In many instances a safety membrane or pan is also provided to afford additional protection. While nearly all floor drains are provided with some type of seepage control, it is necessary to provide some sort of additional means to fasten the inner edge of the safety membrane securely to the drain.

Where safety membrances are required they are usually made of sheet lead with soldered seams and these are necessarily given a water test, before the finished floor material is laid. This test consists ofiilling the safety pan with water several inches deep and allowing it to stand for the necessary time for leaks to be detected, if present. In order to entrap the water within the safety pan, it is necessary to seal olf the outlet of the floor drain, which heretofore has required the time and labor of inserting a regular test plug. After the test is completed, the test plug must be removed before the strainer can be inserted and adjusted to the finished floor level. Also, it is common practice to remove the strainer shank, and fill the drain with paper or other wadding to prevent the finish flooring material from flowing into the drain causing a partial or total stoppage.

In accordance with my invention, the time and labor required for inserting and removing the test plug as well as that for inserting and removing the paper wadding, is eliminated. Positive sealing of seepage control openings in the safety pan clamping ring is provided when testing the safety pan and a sealed test plate is provided under the strainer plate. Porous paper gaskets are employed between the test plate and the strainer and between the clamping ring and strain bowl which disintegrate upon relief of pressure and after being subjected to moisture for a limited time and thus may be left in place when the test is completed.

A drain embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved drain showing one form of test plate in place;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. l showing another form of test plate; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clamping ring drawn to a smaller scale.

Referring to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, I show in Fig. 1 a drain pipe 10 to which my improved oor drain is to be connected. The subtioor of the building is shown at 11 and the hub portion 2,743,786 Patented May 1, 1956 12 of the drain extends down through the sub-floor around the upper end of the pipe 10. The hub portion 12 is provided, near its lower end, with an inner annular ring or rib 13 which provides a packing space 14 above it for receiving fibrous and lead packing, as is well understood. The hub portion 12 is mounted on the pipe 10 by means of three equally spaced screws 16, around. the hub portion, below the rib 13 (only one of which is shown), and which permit adujstment of the drain to the elevation and slant of the iioor. The screws 16 being below the rib 13, the hub 12 is held firmly in place and the space 14 may be packed without disturbing the position of the drain and without interference with the screws 16. This feature is very important in minimizing the time required for installing the drain. Surrounding the upper end of the hub portion and forming a part thereof is a flange portion 17 having a groove 18 in the upper face thereof to receive and retain a safety membrane, or pan 19. The pan 19, as is well understood, is usually made of lead with soldered seams and with a central opening surrounding the opening through the hub portion 12 of the drain.

The pan 19 is held in place on the ilange portion 17 of the hub 12 by means of a clamping ring 2.1 and screws 22 which secure the clamping .ring to the hub portion. The upper surface of the clamping ring 21 is made iiat, as shown and is provided with seepage holes 23 opening downwardly into the hub portion over the open upper end of the pipe 1i) and which permits any seepage passing through the upper floor 2d to escape. The underside of the clamping ring 21 is provided with an. annular rib 20 which is complementary to the groove 18 in the hub portion and which serves to hold the inner edge of the pan 19 securely in place. As shown, the outer periphery of the pan 19 is turned up as shown at 26 to provide a vertical flange of suitable height.

The clamping ring 2i is provided with a central threaded opening 27 into which is screwed the threaded open shank 28 of a strainer 29. The strainer 29, as shown, is bowl shaped with a relatively hat bottom surrounding the shank 28, and also with a fiat surface 3@ on its under side surrounding the shank portion 28, which overhangs the seepage holes 23 in the clamping ring 21. A strainer plate or cover 31 `[its over the strainer and is secured to it by screws 32.

As hereinbefore set forth, before the finish floor 24 is laid or put in place, it is customary to test the safety pan or membrane 19 for leaks. In accordance with my invention, the testing is accomplished by inserting a gasket 33 under the bowl of the strainer, over the seepage holes 23 and screwing the bowl down on the clamping plate. The strainer 29 is provided with a test plate 34 which fits over the flat bottom surface in the strainer bowl and which is caused to bear downwardly thereagainst by means of a Hat spring 37 which is engaged by the cover 31 of the strainer and placed in tension by means of' the screws 32. Also, l insert a suitable gasket under the plate 3dy surrounding the opening through the shank 23 of the strainer. Preferably, both the gaskets 3? and 3S are made of porous paper or other suitable material whereby, upon relief of pressure and subjection to moisture, they will disintegrate. Accordingly, it is not necessary for the workman to remove the gaskets after the test is completed. in making the test, with the strainer screwed down on the gasket 33 and the test plate 34 in place, the pan 19 is filled with water and allowed to stand for a suflicient time to determine if there are any leaks. lf there are no leaks, the strainer is then backed off, or unscrewed, to the height of `the finish floor and the latter, usually of cement or tile, is

then put in place. After the oor has been laid and has set, the test plate 34 may be removed and discarded, by removing and replacing the strainer cover 3&1.

Instead of the flat test plate 34 and spring 37 as shownV plate to be assembled by the workman, it only being nec-V essary that the test plate be removed after the work of installation is completed and the nish oor is laid.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an improved oor drain which is simple of design, economical of manufacture, and by means of which the safety. membrane or pan accompanying the drain may be tested in a minimum of time and with a minimum expense for labor. Y

While I have shown my invention in but two forms it will beV obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof; and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a floor drain, a hub portion, a safety pan surrounding the hub portion, a clamping ring mounted over the hub portion and cooperating therewith to holdthe safety pan in place, there being a central threaded opening in the clamping ring, a bowl shaped strainer having a threaded open shank in threaded engagement with the opening in the clamping ring, a test plate fitting across the bottom of the strainer over the open shank, a perforate cover for the strainer, and means to exert pressure on the test plate from the cover to provide a iluid tight joint between it and the strainer.

2. A oor drain as set forth in claim 1 'in which the clamping ring is provided with seepage openings adjacent the threaded opening and in which the strainer overhangs and is spaced from the seepage openings and in which means are provided to form a tluid tight joint between the strainer and the clamping ring.

3. A floor drain as set forth in claim 1 in which the clampingring is provided with seepage openings adjacent lthe threaded opening and in which the strainer overhangs and is spaced from the seepage openings, and a disintegrating gasket is interposed between the strainer and the clamping ring which when the strainer is screwed down into the clamping ring provides a fluid tight jointbetween it and the strainer and disintegrates upon relief of pressure and exposure to moisture.

4. A oor drain as set forth in claim 1 in which a disintegrating gasket is interposed between the test plate and the strainer to provide a fluid tight t when testing and which disintegrates upon release of pressure and exposure to moisture.

5. In a floor drain, a drain pipe, a hub portion tting over the drain pipe, a safety membrane or pan surrounding the hub portion and having a peripheralV portionextending above the hub portion, a clamping ring cooperating with the hub portion to hold the safety membrane in place around the hub portion and having seepage holes opening into the hub, a strainer having a shank screwed into the clamping ring, a disintegrating gasket tting about the shank and covering the seepage holes and against which the strainer is adapted to tit snugly, a perforate strainer cover, and a removable test plate tting water tight between the cover and the body of the strainer. Y

6. A floor drain as set forth in claim 5 in which a disintegrating gasket is also provided between the test plate and the strainer, both of said gaskets being adapted to disintegrate upon relief of pressure and exposure to moisture.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,390 Smith June 17, 1941 2,299,705 Svirsky Oct. 20, 1942 2,400,070 Boosey May 14, 1946 

